The Verdict

If I had to go into labor right now, with our third child, I would... go naturally.

Tough decision now that I know just how much pain relief the epidural provided! However, what I'm basing my decision on is how amazing I felt immediately after giving birth to Elin.

With Bella & the epidural, it's true, I was comfortable, able to rest & sleep, and the contractions were virtually non-existent (compared to those I felt with Elin), and getting stitched up after was painless. The birth itself was wonderful, I didn't really feel much - they had to tell me what was happening with my own body based on the monitors. Afterward, with the epidural, I wasn't able to get out of bed without major assistance. I essentially remained a patient after delivery; I had to stay on the monitors, keep the IV and fluids going, and require assistance for everything. The numbness in my legs didn't wear off for several hours and even days after, my legs still felt heavy. Bodily functions lagged... no further detail.

With Elin's natural birth, yes, I felt every contraction through to the core of my being & spirit. I felt myself go through every stage of labor. (In retrospect, I also think this was a great & beautiful thing, too.) I felt her head engage and move down. I felt every transition. The instinct to push came on naturally. There was no sleep, there was no rest and I was exhausted. It was a primitive kind of pain. Getting stitches was yet another beast at the end. Here's the beauty of it though, as soon as Elin was delivered - I was no longer a patient. I was just a mom who'd given birth in a hospital. Everything went away - the monitors, the IV, the fluids, the lines, the equipment. I felt like myself immediately after. I was able to get out of bed, move around the room, and take care of myself & Elin on my own shortly after. I felt amazing in comparison to my postpartum state with Bella's birth.

Giving birth without pain medicine was worth every contraction to feel so refreshed, so triumphant, so good after delivery. It just seemed so...natural, so...human, so...normal.

So, yes, I will pass on the epidural with our third (God willing). And, God willing, the third won't be for at least another year or two!